Know-How: Boots of the Elk Guides

by
posted on July 27, 2017
boots_elk_guides_f.jpg

There is perhaps no tougher test for a boot than being strapped to an elk guide’s foot. I’ve followed elk guides in the roaring darkness as we went up, up, trying to get ahead of bulls bugling on Rocky Mountain inclines. I have crossed streams in the high country and have climbed through acres of blow-downs with guides, always marveling, if at times cursing, their grit. Sure, elk guides are often young and they live a lifestyle we only try on now and then, but part of the reason for their stamina is their treads.

So I reached out to some of the hardest-hunting elk guides there are—all have been carefully vetted by NRAOutdoors.com—and found they don’t skimp on their boots. Experts can be an opinionated bunch and listening to elk guides talk about their boots is a little like hearing a loyal Ford F-150 fan downplay the Ram 1500, or vice versa, but guides do put hard miles on their boots. That said, most elk guides wear tall boots (8-10 inches high) to keep out water and debris. Nearly all of them choose heavy, tough, high-end mountain boots. They say most boots simply fall apart, so buying quality actually saves them money and spares them trouble.

Kenetrek Mountain Extreme boots cost $455 and elk guides are hardly a well-heeled bunch, but many said they wear nothing less. “I wear a non-insulated pair in the bow season and switch to a pair with 400 grams of Thinsulate when the weather turns cold,” said Utah elk guide Tyler Bowler. “They take a few weeks to break in, but they last.”

Chad “Savage” Lenz, an Alberta outfitter, said he and his guides always come back to Meindl boots because they don’t require any break-in time and they don’t leak. “Lowa and Schnee’s also have good reputations, but I’ve just never found anything as good as Meindls,” he noted. Cabela’s carries the Meindl “Perfekt” Hunter ($299.99) and several other models.

An outlier was Justin Richins with R&K Hunting Co. He wears the Merrell Moab 2, a $100 hiking boot. He admitted this lightweight hiker doesn’t last, but he accepts the tradeoff because it lets him stay on the move. The Moab 2 is quieter than mountain boots; Richins replaces as necessary. “I normally wear the non-insulated Moab 2, but I switch to a boot with 800 grams of Thinsulate later in the season,” he explained.

Latest

LEDE M&P FPC In 10Mm
LEDE M&P FPC In 10Mm

First Look: Smith & Wesson M&P FPC in 10mm Auto

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. has released its M&P FPC chambered in 10mm Auto. This long-anticipated and even longer-requested, optics-ready 10mm FPC (Folding Pistol Carbine) utilizes a blowback design and is equipped with three, 15-round double-stack M&P M2.0 pistol magazines.

Field Tested: Nosler Whitetail Country

Renowned for its firearms, accessories, ammunition and bullets, Nosler recently broke with tradition and introduced an economical line of ammunition designed for deer hunters. How does it stack up? Read on.

First Look: Real Avid Smart-Torq Fixed Limiter Torque System

Real Avid has unveiled a new lineup of fixed torque limiters, the most precise and technically advanced torque limiters designed for serious DIY gun enthusiasts and professional gunsmiths alike.

Recipe: Creamed Venison and Peas

Brad Fenson creams together peas and venison in this wild-game take on a British classic.

Airport Conversation Leads to Wildlife-Related Charges

CDFW officers catch a pair of poachers after overhearing them on a plane.

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s Excise Tax on Firearm and Ammunition Sales

On March 31, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), together with the Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Colorado State Shooting Association, Magnum Shooting Center and an NRA member, filed a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s 6.5-percent excise tax on the retail sale of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition.



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.